Recently I crossed a couple of rather major (to me at least) thresholds. I reached 1,000 in both June’s Journey and Microsoft Solitaire.

I’ve been playing these games for years enjoying not just the process but the ability to relax and focus on something other than the usual stress and worries. Getting to 1,000 seems a bit…wow…to me.

Both offer the opportunity to play while I listen to my audio books or music in general. Each provides a different type of focus that does not interfere with whatever else is going on. It is, quite literally, a pleasant way to head off to bed.

I enjoy computer games, but my favorites are the old games like, Sea Dogs, Caesar III, Pharaoh, and Titanic, Adventure Out of Time. This last one has been on my mind a lot lately what with the anniversary of the sinking on April 15th. These are what I call ‘engage your brain’ games. The player has to pay attention and actually engage in the game rather than sit back and ease through.

The problem with these old games is that the new computers won’t play them. I have a 20 year old desktop computer that I have kept with the idea of using it only for gaming. We shall see if that pans out.

Games are great ways to relax with or without friends. They can create a bit of community, too.

What are your favorites?

Still not your average cookery show.

A while back I posted about Glen and Friends Cooking on YouTube. This Canadian gem has become one of my go to YouTube channels. From The Old Cookbook Show to any one of Glen’s trips down rabbit holes searching out the definitive recipe for [ whatever ], to the Cocktail Hour, to his unboxing of cookbooks, there is a wide variety of material to keep me happy for a long time. 😀

If you are a newbie to the kitchen or someone with experience (of any level) there is something for you.

Personally, I love rediscovering recipes and finding things to add to my menu rotation. Case in point a recent honey mustard chicken. Yum!

There are loads of cooking sites and channels out there. Some are worth the time. A few are worth setting a reminder to so you don’t miss anything.

Grab your drink of choice and settle in for some fun in the kitchen!

I woke up today to the sad news that Dave Myers, one half of The Hairy Bikers, has passed away. I had to look twice to be sure I read the title of the piece correctly.

D@mn it!

I honestly have no idea how long I have followed Dave & Si King in their culinary adventures. You can find many of their food series simply by searching ‘The Hairy Bikers’. I have at least one of their cookery books.

The guys’ love of motorcycles and food might seem an odd combination…and to be fair, it is, but what is not odd is watching them dive into a topic and bring us along on their journey.

Dave seemed to bring a touch of whimsy to Si’s serious notes. Together they were the odd/silly uncles that you loved visiting with as they puttered around the kitchen.

Beyond the whimsy and silly, however, was a passion for food and they loved to share what they had learned with all of us.

Here is one of my favorite clips of Dave as he and Karen dance on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’:

My sincerest condolences to Dave’s family and friends. He will be missed.

My life changed the day I decided it was okay to have chocolate in the house.

Chocolate as in candy.

For years it was one thing that was never included on the weekly grocery shopping list or brought home from a movie or casually picked up just because. Why? Well, because it would be eaten! (Oh, the horrors!!!)

That isn’t to say that I didn’t occasionally have some – and enjoy it. But the idea of it having a place in my home just because…

Now I have always had cocoa and baking chocolate in my pantry because every once in a while I would actually bake a cake or a pan of brownies. The key word here is ‘occasionally’ and it would also require taking said item elsewhere to be enjoyed by other folks so I didn’t have it in the house just for me.

The first time I made a chocolate cake for my boss’ birthday, she was shocked to learn that I already had everything I needed in the house to make it – no special trip to the grocery store was necessary. The very idea was unbelievable to her because she didn’t. I repeated the gift for several years thereafter, too.

You see, the idea that having such things on hand meant that it would be indulged on all the time, and, in my house at least, that was not true.

Years later I worked in an office where one of the managers had been given one of the M&M dispensers and promptly brought it in to share the candies with the entire team. As luck would have it, it was placed near my desk, which was centrally located in the team. About once a month we would chip in to purchase a large refill bag of the goodies. Not bad when you consider those goodies were shared among 15 people.

When I thought about it, I realized that simply having the goodies available was not enticement to constantly consume them. There were quite a few months when I had only a few, or none.

That might have been when it occurred to me that just having the stuff around for occasional enjoyment prevented bingeing to the point of overdoing it and being miserable. More importantly, I learned that most of the time, I didn’t really desire eating any of that stash simply because it was there.

Light Bulb Moment!

Now I want to be sure you understand that I have no health issues that could be impacted if I had a candy bar or a bag of M&Ms. I realize that some folks do.

So, for the past couple of decades I have kept on hand some version of a favorite chocolate treat for those times when I really wanted to enjoy the experience. I’ve even indulged in some drug store boxes of candy, too.

What I learned is that, for me, to remove the stigma of something I simply needed to stop treating it as if it was an Enemy. Once it became nonthreatening it became something that wasn’t binged or overindulged.

Side note: I still have all the ingredients on hand to make a chocolate cake or a pan of brownies, but I couldn’t tell you the last time I did, it has been that long ago.

We tend to create (or other folks do it for us) hurdles to making our lives easier and comfortable ‘just because’ or ‘just in case’. Perhaps we need to take a step back and be sure that those hurdles are necessary.

What do you think?

February is almost over and I find myself sitting back and thinking. 

Winter seems to have held on longer than anyone really wanted it to. Maybe because it was so…determined to be excessive folks just wanted it to move on. Maybe because some areas had weather that couldn’t make up its mind.

I don’t know about you but I was thrilled when the New TV Season arrived and most of my shows returned. I have a couple of shows that will arrive in a few months, but the bulk are back and I won’t lie, it has been a pleasure to have appointment TV once again.

My craft room and I are spending more time together. I always find it odd that some things that are well suited to the colder months never inspire, let alone interest, me until it is hot outside.

Speaking of the craft room, I am exploring options and looking to broaden my knowledge base with supplies and techniques. It is time to stretch the envelope a bit.

My reading table has had some interesting titles cross it in the past few months. A couple of years ago I was in a Sherlock Holmes cycle. Now I find myself in Ancient Rome. I’ve been listening to both fiction and nonfiction works. 

Audible recently sent me my 2023 listening stats and it was eyeopening. Here are a few highlights: I spent a lot of time listening to Lindsey Davis: 119,486 minutes in fact. Favorite Genres: Mystery, Thriller, & Suspense: 119,451 minutes. Literature & Fiction: 57,667 minutes.

I found myself out of sync in the kitchen this Winter. I had thought I would have more baked potatoes or make that wonderful apple cake recipe I made last year, but somehow that didn’t happen. What has struck me is how much I enjoyed the tomato pie recipe from last Summer. (!!!!!) I can still taste that pie…

As we edge out of colder months into Spring I find myself looking for new options. I am still working to include more vegetables and I want to try my hand at a few different ideas. I’ll let you know how that turns out.

Last week I noticed my bulbs have put up shoots, so blooms aren’t that far off. I’m looking forward to Spring. I have no idea if I will be planting outside or not, but I won’t lie, the idea does have appeal.

Here’s to a new phase and hopefully one that isn’t too extreme in any one direction.

My mom was a blue ribbon window shopper. A child of the Great Depression, neither she nor my dad had a lot of money so shopping was a serious endeavor. But there were times when she just wanted to see what was on offer and would take me by the hand and we would walk to Main Street where the stores had the most amazing things in their windows.

We would find all sorts of things, most of which we did not need or could afford. While we most likely wouldn’t come home loaded with bags, what we did bring home was a collection of ideas that we would try to recreate at home.

A few years later we moved to a farming community that had all the essentials…just not a lot of them. Translate: one or two grocery stores, drug stores, etc. with limited stock. This move reinforced the concept of a one stop shop that predated the Big Box Stores.

I’m not knocking the process as it can be a time saver if not always a money saver. But once I began looking away from the hype of everyday low prices or brand loyalty, I started finding things that surprised me.

• Off brand items that were often the same or better quality and lower in price than the big brand items. This surprised me a lot – and it wasn’t that I had not heard about it from other sources. 

• Looking above and below eye line to find items that could save me money without sacrificing quality.

When I started actively looking at other markets I found items that I could not find in my local store. This was great for me to experiment with as I searched for new meal items. I also found some great exchanges for things I took for granted. Some stores have a butcher on hand and some even offer meat without enhancements.

Sometimes the lack of a ‘favorite’ brand made me look at other brands and see if I liked them. Often I found that I did like the change, but occasionally I found I preferred my old brand.

Once I started using pick up or delivery services I found that costs were easier to check among the stores in my area. If you have a habit of tucking things into your cart that aren’t on your list, these services can be a game changer! 

The best thing I discovered using these services is that finding a great shopper can be a fabulous experience. A good shopper knows the store, works with you to make sure you get what you want and makes the experience as painless as possible.

I went from patronizing one store to checking out as many stores in my area as I can. I have found items that make my meal planning easier and healthier. I have also managed to actually save time and money. All by taking the time to check out different stores.

My mom would be proud!

Everyone has one, many just don’t know it. If you aren’t sure, take a good look at the coffee mug sitting nearby. Is it the same one you used, say, a week ago? Is it part of a set or a one off that you got for whatever reason and tucked into the cabinet?

No kidding, a good coffee mug is the difference between a cold cuppa whatever (coffee, tea, you name it) and one that holds heat long enough to drink the contents.

It might be thermal, it might be a designer piece, it might be something found at a yard sale or in a second hand shop or gifted by a dear friend who knows how much you enjoy [ fill in the blank ]. 

The thing about a favorite mug is that it makes the beverage of choice that much better simply by using it.

Think I am wrong? Consider how you react when your favorite is not available and you must make do… If you feel a bit off balance, you have a Favorite whether you know it or not. :)

Don’t mind me, I’m off to clean up the current mug and get ready for a new cuppa …

Enjoy!

Psst!

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As I write this there is way more than normal amount of snow on the ground for my area and it was only the day before yesterday that at least half of the county did a run on the grocery store. Yeah, a Bread and Milk Run.

For the uninitiated, a Bread and Milk Run is where the local weather folks warn about serious weather and let you know to stock up because you might not be getting out for the next few days. aka: It is going to be serious outside and you do not want to be there if you can avoid it.

For those folks who are not used to this kind of weather, preparing for it can be a challenge. I look on it as an opportunity to make use of my pantry.

Since we have not had issues (so far) with our power grid, I am thinking macaroni and cheese or possibly a pot of stew. They are filling, warming and some of the most comforting foods imaginable. But, what do you think of as comfort food?

In times when we have the potential for power loss, I look for things that can be eaten cold or room temperature. Peanut butter sandwiches, string cheese and crackers, fruit. I always have a thermos or two filled with hot coffee which always takes the chill off. Keep in mind you do not want to be opening your refrigerator or freezer as that lets the cold air out and could cause issues with the contents of that equipment. 

Once the weather returns to somewhat normal and the stores are well stocked, it is a good time to restock the pantry. 

In the meantime, settle in, relax and take it one step at a time. Spring will be here before we know it!

I don’t know about you but most folks I know are in one of two camps: (1) It is the first of the year so I must start over for everything. Everything. (2) It is the first of the year and I am taking my time to recover from a hectic holiday season and ease into a new year.

Sound familiar?

Frankly, I’ve never been one of those folks in camp 1. I just never thought my life was such that I had only 365 days to make or break before all would be tossed out and I would start over. And, really, why ditch what works? Of course there was that other pesky issue: lack of time and funds to create a magical new existence. Talk about stress! We won’t even think about things like weather or other stuff we have no control over…

Anyway, this year several of my YouTubers seem to be in the same camp, easing into a new year, generally with great thought and deliberation, and taking the time to enjoy what they are doing…in front or behind the camera.

As I write this, my area is undergoing some serious winter weather. We are looking at seriously cold temperatures in an area that rarely gets below 20 degrees on a really cold day in an average winter day. In other words, folks are stressing, fretting, and trying to deal with all the ‘what if’s’ they have no experience with.

I tend to keep a well stocked pantry so I did not have to make a grocery run, which is good because everyone else has and I would be shocked if there are no empty shelves. I have been making use of what is on my shelves. It is amazing how creative you can get when you come across something you forgot you had… Using up the odds and ends also create some great meals.

I’m also checking out my stash in the craft room. I’ve been watching a lot of creative people do what they do best and have been collecting ideas. I already have a list of cards I want to try.

I know a gardener or two who have found themselves contemplating what they want their garden to look like come Summer. Which means they are planning their Spring clean up and ventures to the local garden centers. Are you one of those? Have you ordered your garden catalogs yet?

I wonder how many folks contemplate that Winter Reset is really about looking ahead and not just recovering from the holidays. I know that the early days of January can be just as frantic as the last weeks of December. We often talk about getting off sugar or alcohol, maybe we need to talk about getting off the shopping rush, too?

That is a difficult one to maneuver around as all the retailers are either trying to get rid of old stock or entice you to purchase new stock.

In the meantime, I am settling in with my coffee, contemplating a coffee cake, and enjoying the peace and quiet. Before I know it everything will change again…

This is the time of year when I find myself looking for ways to be quiet and disconnect from the holiday hustle and bustle.

I find myself looking for quiet music. Holiday music runs the gamut from loud and boisterous to quiet and serene. There is a wide variety of options out there and if I am inclined I experiment a bit just to see what I can find.

This time of year RadioOnceMore’s holiday programming can be pure pleasure to listen to. For those of us who have listened to these shows for a long time, revisiting them is a touch of comfort programming. From Jack Benny, Red Skelton, Fibber McGee & Molly to The Lone Ranger and Dragnet, the celebration of the holidays reminds us of what used to be.

How does this extricate me from the hustle and bustle?

There comes a time when, like taking a vacation, changing what I am listening to or watching is as good as a vacation. Like baking treats that we don’t bake most of the year. While we might enjoy banana bread all year round, how often do we bake pumpkin bread? Popcorn might be a regular on movie nights but when was the last time you made popcorn balls?

So, I am looking for quiet changes to allow me to ease into the holidays and enjoy the experience without stressing over a list of Things I Need To Do By Christmas (and probably won’t accomplish on time…).

The neat thing is that I can do that holiday baking while listening to the music or radio shows… 😀

Enjoy!